Gungrave-
Volume 2: The Sweeper/
Volume 3: The Undead War
(MVM Region 2 PAL DVD)
(2005)
review by Blackgloves

All thoughts of this excellent series' Playstation origins will be well and truly forgotten by the end of the third volume! After introducing us to the ruthless, reanimated killing machine christened Beyond-the-Grave, way back in the first episode of volume one, we were then transported back in time to when the character was just a small time street-hood called Brandon Heat; the ruthless Mafia boss, Harry McDowell, was Brandon's best friend back in those days! At the end of Volume One, the ultra-ambitious Harry and his loyal friend, Brandon had just managed to gain access to the lower levels of the Millenion organisation. Brandon goes along with his friend's ambitions out of total loyalty to Harry, and also because he has discovered that the love of his life, Maria, has been taken into protective custody by Milenion boss, "Big Daddy" after the death of her uncle in a Mafia shoot-out involving some of his men. Now the second volume of the series continues meticulously detailing the events that eventually lead to that post-apocalyptic scenario we saw in episode one.

Few series manage to combine the level of characterisation and action seen here. As the violent events unfold and the characters develop, the changes in them are reflected in their well-thought-out character designs by Yasuhiro Nightow, which are redrawn to reflect their experiences as time passes. At the beginning of volume 2, Brandon is still the lanky Keanue Reeves look-a-like we have been familiar with; by the end of volume three, he will be transformed into a black-suited Millennion executive hit-man heading his own team of highly-trained "sweepers" nicknamed "True-Grave" -- even more lethal than the "Overkill" unit lead by Brandon and Harry's one-time Millenion mentor, Bear!

Six months after joining the organisation though, Brandon is working in a low level debt collection operation, collecting unpaid debts and dealing with any non-payments in a lethal fashion. He hasn't seen Harry since he joined and still hasn't been able to locate Maria. Then Harry makes contact and introduces Brandon to his new friends: the food-obsessed Bob Poundmax and the mysterious Balladbird Lee. Together, the trio have managed to edge their way up the ranks of the organisation and now Harry has returned to help his old pal do the same. He also knows where Brandon can find Maria! When he makes contact with her, Brandon comes to the attention of "Big Daddy", the head of Millennion! Concerned for his young charge's safety, Big Daddy summons Brandon to his mansion, and, after satisfying himself that Brandon's intentions are honourable, agrees to let him visit Maria as long as he doesn't contact her outside the secure environs of the mansion. This meeting with Big Daddy is just the introduction Harry hoped for, and now the ambitious young criminal sets about looking for an opportunity to gain favour with the Millenion head. Poundmax soon provides it when he gets information about a rival group's plan to assassinate Big Daddy at a posh function. Instead of contacting security, McDowell gets Brandon to deal with the threat and, sure enough, both men are advanced through the ranks once more with Brandon now becoming one of the organisation's most feared hit men!

The action now switches to five years later. Brandon and Harry are still best friends and still working together. They manage to foil another attempt to topple Millenion and, in the process, gain a new sidekick -- the hired killer, Bunji Kagashira. Brandon and Harry's continued loyalty, and Harry's ambitious power-play, now gains the two admission to the organisation's inner circle of executives, known as "the family". This inner core are bound by a rigorous code of iron which enforces total devotion to Millenion. Harry has Poundmax (whose constant over-eating has now made the once lanky character a lot more rounded after five years!) seek out some skeletons in the closet of the family members and soon Harry is given a golden opportunity to advance himself once more -- this time at the expense of the best friend of their old mentor, Bear!

This second volume slowly advances the development of all the characters inch by inch; it still doesn't look possible that Harry and Brandon could become enemies, but we can see Harry's relentless ambition is the seed that will probably eventually lead to his corruption. Brandon has gone from the callow youth of the first volume to a fiercely loyal silent assassin, desensitised to violence by the constant killing he is forced to carry out, but still carrying a spark of humanity thanks to his continuing love for Maria. Now, in volume 3 - "Undead War", some of the more dystopian elements are starting to creep into the ordered society that Millenion have created. Blood War, a member of the rival group Volcano is released from prison after an eight year sentence. He forms an alliance with an ex-war buddy called Cannon Vulcan who is now the head of Lightning -- the organisation that failed to assassinate Big Daddy five years previously! Vulcan has developed a secret technology called Necrolisation -- a technology that can reanimate the dead and turn them into an unstoppable army of ghouls! Blood War and Vulcan start a "war" with Millenion and start wiping out whole Millenion units without suffering any casualties thanks to their zombie assasins. It's up to Harry, Kugashira and Brandon's new sweeper team, True-Grave to take on their greatest foe yet! Unknown to them, one of their most trusted friends is secretly working for the enemy!

With the final episode of volume three, Brandon and Harry appear to be closer than ever; the action winds another three years into the future and Brandon has now become the most feared "sweeper" in the organisation -- these days immaculately suited, the one-time lanky innocent is now suppressing all of his feelings for Maria, much to the concern of his surrogate father, Big Daddy! Meanwhile Harry's ambitions are as rampant as ever, his next goal is to take over the organisation and it seems he will not let anything get in his way. Harry secretly restarts Vulcan's old Necrolisation program and his turn to the dark side seems to be underway!

"Gungrave" is shaping up to be one of the most densely plotted, action packed and intricately characterised anime available at the moment; every episode so far has been extremely compelling and Madhouse's animation continues to look fabulous -- although that CGI ocean effect I commended in the last review is starting to get overused a little now and appears in every single episode! This still has to be one of the most essential anime series out at the moment though. Recomended.

The individual volumes don't include much in the way of extras -- just a production gallery and trailers -- but the widescreen anamorphic transfer is fantastic and the audio options, which include English Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese DTS and Japanese digital 2.0, all sound very powerful.